Mount Si - Take #2

Today I tried Mount Si hike again and returned back before I saw “Snag Flats”, second time. Snag Flats are supposed to somewhere between 1300’ to 1500’. It’s relatively small hike that you can do in 2-3 hours (full hike to summit of Mount Si is a long 8 hour 3200’ climb). Today because of heavily packed wet snow it was extremely slippery. Many people even had crampons on. People who did not had any traction devices (like me) had very hard time to go up on slippery trail and even harder time to come down.

I would not do this trail without wearing Kahtoola Microspikes.

Last time I’d to turn back at1250’ because I’d started too late and it was getting dark. Today I got up to 1440’ but still saw no sign of so called snag flats or a view point where Mailbox peak and Mt Rainier can be seen. But then I suddenly realized that I’d forgotten my camera on the trail during last water break! So I went down to look for it but didn’t found it. I finally got down in parking lot and walked there for quite sometime looking for any lost & found places (Mount Si trailhead has HUGE parking lot and somehow there are always dozen cars there). Several people were coming down or going up but no one had seen it.

Then an amazing thing happened. Just when I was driving out the parking lot and I was almost out, I decided to stop for a minute and put up a sticky note. And I suddenly saw 3 guys coming down and they had my camera! It was just a matter of few seconds and I would have left. Thank you strangers!

PS: Those 3 guys mentioned that they were going to return it to ranger station. So next time if you loose something always check with ranger station or forest service.